The Canadian consulate in Hong Kong has warned staffers from traveling to mainland China until further notice. The Canadian consulate ordered all its employees to suspend any and all business trips to mainland China.
People Are Being Subjected to Strict Screening Says Canadian Consulate
The consulate even updated its travel instructions advising tourist not to travel to Hong Kong or other parts of China for safety.
According to media reports people who are leaving Hong Kong are getting subjected to strict screening and rigorous checking. Furthermore, any and all electronic possessions by travelers are scanned for content related to the ongoing Hong Kong protests.
Detention of British Consulate Staff Member
China had earlier detained British consulate staff member Simon Cheng who has been released recently. According to media reports, Simon was detained while being on a business trip to Shenzhen located on the Hong Kong-China border.
The Chinese Government, earlier this week in a press statement, confirmed that they had detained Cheng for 15 days due to violating public order regulations. Chinese media had also claimed that Cheng was arrested for inciting prostitution; Cheng’s family had refused to believe this.
Is Canadian Consulate’s Decision Linked to Cheng’s Disappearance
reportedly did not possess a diplomatic passport which might have exposed him to such treatment. It is not sure whether Canadian consulate’s decision was related to the British Consulate staff member’s case or not.
Canada has openly criticized China for human rights violations which China has termed as meddling in its internal affairs. A few months back a Huawei CFO was arrested in Canada and was extradited to the United States; it was just another event to aggravate US-China trade war as Huawei is a Chinese company.
